By James V. Ruocco
Though it has been staged mostly as a mannered psychological story of despair and ennui since its 1904 debut at the Moscow Art Theatre, Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" contains some hilariously ribald moments and comic contradictions that Connecticut Repertory Theatre can't seem to get enough of.
The story of the wealthy, aristocratic Ranevskaya family who lost their land due to the collapse of a feudal order, this classic play from the early days of the 20th century has been adapted to the stage in a version by Jean-Claude van Itallie that adds a lot of comic punch and bite to Chekhov's wistful, weeping masterpiece.
As theatre, it charms and probes with wicked delight. It delves deeply into the dark emotions and angst it conjures up so effortlessly. It swans around with many different kinds of loss, regret and baffled wonder. It associates itself with remembrances of missed opportunities. It laughs at the starchy restraint of yesteryear. It also gallops along with some highly choreographed clowning and nouveau-riche gesticulation reminiscent of "The Importance of Being Earnest," "The Play That Goes Wrong" and "A Little Night Music."
With all of this chicanery lathered up in one big Chekhovian mind game, both comic and dramatic, this telling of one family's fall from fortune never once seems out of place. It sparkles with originality and besotted merriment. It ridicules and cajoles. It is also so quirky, offbeat and colorful, there are times when you forget you're watching a play devised by Anton Chekhov.
At CRT, "The Cherry Orchard" is being staged by John Miller-Stephany, a savvy storyteller and director whose credits include "The Night of the Iguana," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Sweeney Todd," "Jane Eyre," "The Music Man" and "1776." Completely akin to the plot and character machinations of Chekhov's world, he crafts an unmistakably challenging piece of theatre that broods, chirps,
tantalizes, skips and growls. It's all carefully thought out, bouncing back and forth between emotional turbulence and jaunty comedy, staged with appropriate dash, wit and pitch perfection.
Much of what happens here works seamlessly enough as "The Cherry Orchard" is played with elegant restraint and fast-wilting zaniness rather than something more layered, mannered and simmering from the likes of London's National Theatre. It's a directorial choice, of course, that changes things considerably, but, at the same time, respects the blueprint set forth by Chekhov without glossing over any Chekhovian darkness, gloom, edge or high passion.
Played out in four segments (two per act), this production brings the right mood and mindset to the Russian classic with Stephany orchestrating knockabout humor and warmth with moments of tragedy, cruelty, tranquility and unquietness. Working with very classy ingredients, both melodramatic and sincere, his personal touches and directorial insight keep the material alert, punchy and poetic. Nothing just happens out of nowhere. There is drive and purpose to this telling that puts a playful twist on things without losing any of its somber, bleak intent. Stephany also travels a more understandable route in terms of storytelling which allows the audience to tap into the play comfortably and realize the story's issues upfront and first hand.
"The Cherry Orchard" stars Caralyn Kozlowski as Lyubov Andreyevna Ranevskaya, Mark Light-Orr as Leonid Andreyevich Gayev, Abigal Hilditch as Anya, Alex Campbell as Varya, Tristan Rewald as Yasha, Bryan Mittelstadt as Pyotr Sergeyevich Trofimov, Rob Barnes as Semyon Paanteleyevich Yepikhodov, Sierra Kane as Charlotta Ivanovna, Sebastian Nagpal as Firs, Erin Cessina as Dunyasha, Nikolai Fernandez as Yermolay Alexeyevich Lopakhim, Matthew Antoci as Simeonov-Pischik and Anthony Antoci as a Vagrant. Everyone stands out in his or her own way, projecting the tortured or sharply funny voices of their characters in dutiful, relatable ways. They get Chekhov. They understand Chekhov. They like Chekhov. They are so very right for each of the different roles they are asked to portray. They are smartly attuned to the setting of the play, the manners and expressions of the period and how they should react and behave with one another. They also have great fun reciting the full names of the play's Russian characters (a running gag, one might say) without skipping a beat or reciting the ambiguous, lyrical and humorous dialogue dictated by the playwright.
Life as seen through the eyes of Anton Chekhov manages to be glib, funny and forever crumbling in CRT's nicely staged production of "The Cherry Orchard." This handsome revival makes perfect sense out of the character's idiosyncrasies, their browbeaten bathos and egotism, their high strung conversations, their silly dalliances and their restless passions. When necessary, director John Miller-Stephany goes full tilt to shake things up a bit, but when the dust settles, he plugs deeply into his absurdist telling, thus, giving it a mind of its own and a jar or two of self-importance, angst and irony, fractured charm and poignant melancholy.
"The Cherry Orchard" is being staged at Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, 2132 Hilldside Rd., Storrs, CT), now through October 13.
For tickets or more information, call (860) 486-2113
website: crt.uconn.edu.
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